Happy Valentine's Day
by Mertz
Summary: When good intentions go wrong...


Happy Valentine's Day! I couldn't resist giving my own little spin to the holiday. Enjoy!

I make no claims to Voltron or any WEP characters.

Until next time...

Valentine's Day: Voltron Style

He couldn't wait. Tomorrow would be their first Valentine's Day and he intended to make it a memorable one. Keith Kogane walks into his office, box in hand, and moves over to his desk. Setting it down, he is about to open it when the door to his office opens and Lance McClain walks in. Instantly irritated, Keith snaps, "When will you learn to knock?"

A loud, contemptuous snort echoes in the room. Walking up to the desk and glancing at the box, Lance retorts, "What have you got to hide?"

"Nothing that is any of your damn business," Keith snarls while putting the box in a drawer in his desk and slamming the drawer shut.

"You're being a prick, you know that?" Lance states, totally unconcerned with his friend's attitude. He sits down on the edge of the desk. "Come on, Keith. What's up?"

Sitting down in his chair, the commander sighs. Opening the drawer once more, he pulls out the box, opens it, and looks down at the contents, "I just got Allura's gift. It's our first Valentine's Day together. I want it to be memorable."

Glancing into the box at the necklace, Lance snorts in derision, "Memorable? You got her a necklace, Keith."

"What's wrong with that?" he demands while closing the box and putting it back in his drawer.

"It's the cliché thing!" Lance exclaims, waving his hand in the air. "Flowers, candy and jewelry! Where the hell is your imagination?"

Feeling his cheeks growing warm, Keith retorts, "What's wrong with flowers? Allura loves them."

"You get her flowers all the time!" Lance shakes his head, "How is that memorable?"

"It is for me," Keith grumbles under his breath. "I almost have to kill myself to get them."

"No one told you to pick the ones that grow in the cracks of the cliffs," Lance snorts while crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Those are her favorites," he returns defensively.

"Yeah, getting yourself killed for flowers would be memorable," Lance states sarcastically.

"Well, what the hell would you have me do?" demands the commander.

As a bright smile crosses Lance's face, Keith shakes his head, "Forget I asked. You'd have me buying her skimpy lingerie or worse."

Laughter escapes out of the lieutenant, "Yeah, that would be memorable."

"Not if she takes offense and tosses me out of the bedroom," snorts Keith, his disgust obvious.

Shaking his head at him, Lance stands, "Whatever. Go back to boring old predictable Keith. I'll see you later." Ignoring Keith's waspish parting remark, he heads for the door, a smile slipping across his face as a plan comes to mind. Racing down the hall, he goes in search of the one person who could make his plan happen, Pidge.

xxxxxxxxxx

Valentine's Day

Walking down the hallway late the next afternoon, Keith continues to ponder his gift for Allura. While Lance is right, it is somewhat predictable, it is far too late to do anything else. Sighing deeply, he thinks back on the morning. The alarm had failed to go off, so both had to race to get to patrol on time. No time to kiss her or relish the morning as he originally planned. The rest of the day hasn't been much better. After patrol was meeting after meeting, Keith hasn't been able to get a moment alone with his wife.

Entering his office, he thinks about having dinner sent to their room when he spots a folded piece of paper on his desk. Walking across the room, Keith picks up the paper and opens it. A bright smile crosses his face when he recognizes his wife's handwriting:

_My love,_

_Happy Valentine's Day, meet me in our room an hour before dinner.  
I have a surprise for you._

_Allura_

Intrigued, Keith glances at his watch. He had five minutes to get to their room. Moving around his desk, he grabs the box out of his desk drawer. Sticking the note in his pocket, he heads for the door and quickly leaves the room. Picking up his pace, the commander keeps his gaze to the floor, refusing to make eye contact with anyone he passes in an attempt to keep anyone from stopping him. Reaching the room, he presses his hand against the lock, enters and hits the button to shut the door again just as quickly.

Disappointment fills him to find the room empty. About to turn and leave, Keith spots a box on the bed with another note tented above it. Reaching the bed, he picks up the note and reads:

_Darling,_

_I know this seems like an odd request, but I've always had this fantasy  
and I'm hoping on this, our first Valentine's Day, you'll see your way  
clear to make it come true for me. It's in the box, I love you._

_Allura_

Setting the note down on the bedside table, Keith glances down at the box. Wrapped in bright red paper, it is held closed with a large, white ribbon. Pulling on the edge of the ribbon, he loosens the bow then lifts the lid. Pushing the crepe paper aside, incredulity fills him. Lifting the first item, Keith looks at it quizzically before setting it aside and pulling out the next item. Shaking his head, he sets it down on the bed beside the first and pulls out the last. Lining them up on the bed, he studies the pieces while taking a deep breath and lightly blowing it out. _This is what Allura wants?_ Thinking that he still has a lot to learn about his wife, Keith pulls his shirt over his head.

xxxxxxxxxx

Exhausted, Allura walks out of her advisor's office and heads down the hall. The day started out bad with both her and Keith oversleeping and hasn't gotten any better. Outside of patrol and a meeting before lunch, she hasn't seen her husband since. It is their first Valentine's Day and she hasn't even received a kiss. Hopefully, things will change soon. Reaching her office, she is just about to open the door when Nanny approaches, "Majesty, dinner for you and the king is ready as you requested. I have everything set up in the ballroom. The musicians are ready as well."

Looking at her watch, Allura gasps, "Oh God! I didn't realize the time! Oh, I'll never get ready in time." She starts patting at her hair, wondering how she would get it up and dressed in time.

"I can help you with your hair if you wish," Nanny offers with a smile.

"Oh Nanny, that would be wonderful," the queen replies, relief sounding in her tone. "I want tonight to be special!"

Patting her arm, Nanny smiles, "I'm sure it will be."

They talk about what style the queen wants and the dress she wants to wear as they walk down the hallway together. Reaching the bedroom, Allura places her hand on the lock and steps back as the door opens, "We have to be fast, I don't want to make Keith wait."

"I will be fast, the style is a very easy one," Nanny replies as she walks past the queen into the room.

Her eyes scan the room out of habit then stops on the bed, widening in shock. The King of Arus lies on the bed, his hands cuffed to the headboard, a blindfold covering his eyes and nude except for a bright red elephant thong, the trunk high in the air. Keith smiles brightly as he calls out, "I'm ready when you are…"

"Oh my God!"

Barely hearing Allura's words, the governess puts her hand over her heart just before her eyes roll back into her head and she faints dead away.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Nanny!"

Hearing the thump of something heavy hitting the floor, Keith tosses his head side to side, trying to dislodge the blindfold. Cursing that he foolishly had tied it so tight, he freezes at his wife's next words on her comm. unit, "I need medical in the royal suite now! Nanny has fainted!"

"ALLURA!" Keith screams as panic fills him.

xxxxxxxxxx

Entering the castle the next morning after his night out, Lance whistles gaily as he walks down the halls. Feeling blissfully tired, he is almost to his rooms when he remembers his friend. Deciding not to wait, he changes direction and heads for Keith's office. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots two guards standing together, their faces shining with amusement as they talk. Shrugging, he keeps going and passes two maids, who are laughing about something as they pass him by. Wondering what's going on, Lance keeps going until he reaches Keith's office. Not bothering to knock, he slams his hand on the button to open the door and walks in, like he always does. On the desk lies a half-empty whisky bottle and glass. He finds Keith sitting in his chair, morosely facing the wall.

Walking up to the desk, Lance asks, "Hey, what's wrong?"

Keith turns to face him, and for the first time, the lieutenant notices the rumpled note in his hands. Looking back at him, Lance smiles brightly, "How was your night? Was it memorable?"

"Memorable? Yeah, I guess you could say that," Keith answers as he slowly rises to his feet.

Stopping in his tracks at the tone of his voice, Lance takes in the king's stiff body posture and cautiously asks, "What happened?"

Throwing the note at his friend, Keith snarls, "You had Pidge forge Allura's handwriting?"

"Yeah," Lance replies, still confused, "you wanted a memorable night. I was just trying to help you out."

"Help me out?" he repeats incredulously, advancing slowly.

Taking a step back, Lance retorts, "What the hell are you so pissed about?"

"What am I pissed about?" snorts Keith, as he takes another step forward. "How about the fact that Allura didn't come to our rooms alone?"

Feeling his eyes widening, Lance listens as his friend continues, "How about the fact that I was lying there butt ass naked except for that stupid thong you picked out when Allura walked in the door with Nanny! Nanny was so shocked, she fainted!"

With his hands clenched into fists, Keith snarls, "Allura called for the medics! Half of the damn castle saw me in that stupid thing!"

Lance forgets to move back as the words sink in. Without meaning to, he bursts out laughing at the image of Keith blindfolded, handcuffed and lying on the bed in that silly thong with half of the medical unit and guards rushing into the room. A fist connects with his jaw a moment later, sending Lance sprawling to the floor.

Holding a hand against it, Lance snaps, "What the hell was that for?"

"For setting me up!" Keith snarls. "Allura wouldn't even throw a blanket over me! She wouldn't even uncuff me until they had taken Nanny out of the room on a gurney! Then she left me there to go to MedTech!"

"So you punched me for what Allura did?" asks Lance incredulously as he slowly rises.

"Well, I can't hit her!" Keith retorts, his anger still obvious. "I got dressed and got the hell out of there. I've been here all fucking night!"

Feeling his lips still twitching, Lance can't help rubbing it in, "Well, you can't say your first Valentine's Day wasn't memorable."

Swearing broadly, Keith turns away from his friend and stomps back over to his desk. Plopping down in the seat, he orders dejectedly, "Just get the hell out and leave me alone."

Still chuckling to himself, Lance heads for the door and leaves the room.

xxxxxxxxxx

With a note clutched in her fist, Allura leaves Pidge's room, her face still red with anger. Rushing down the halls, she ignores the amused looks sent her way. Turning down the hallway toward her husband's office, the queen spots Lance approaching her. Walking up to him, she punches him in the nose.

Holding a hand over it, Lance snarls, "What the hell was that for?"

"Don't play the innocent, you ass," Allura snaps before she walks past him and quickly reaches Keith's office.

Opening the door, she walks in and pauses when she spots Keith pouring whiskey into a glass. He angrily sets the bottle down, picks up his glass, and turns the chair around completely. Moving across the room, Allura walks around the desk and stops in front of him. He downs the glass in one shot and sets it aside.

Allura holds out the note that was attached to the gift to him, "I found this in our room this morning. I'm sorry. I didn't write it."

He doesn't take it from her as he snaps, "Obviously."

Having the good grace to blush, Allura continues, "I was just so angry last night that you would do something so stupid-"

"Stupid?"

Cringing at his tone, Allura continues her apology, "I shouldn't have left you like that. But Nanny isn't young anymore—"

"So you decided to let me be the laughingstock of the castle, thanks."

Deciding not to reply to that, Allura finishes, "After finding the note, I went and spoke to Pidge. He told me the whole story and knows what will happen to him if he ever helps Lance with one of his stupid ideas ever again."

"Great, good to know."

Sighing, Allura tosses the note onto the desk behind Keith then moves over him, straddling her husband in his chair. Caressing his cheek, she whispers, "I'm so sorry, my love. What can I do to make it up to you?"

She stares down into those warm dark eyes that she loves so much and leans into him. Kissing him lightly, Allura whispers, "I'll do anything for your forgiveness."

"Anything?" asks Keith, breathlessly.

Smiling, Allura nods, her fingers stroking his cheek affectionately. Keith grabs her fingers and arches an eyebrow at her, "Go burn that stupid thong."

Laughter bursts out of Allura and she nods. She stops the next moment as Keith kisses her, ending all conversation for the next two hours.


End file.
